COLUMN: Philadelphia Eagles soar in the snow

Unless you were born before 1940, you probably haven’t seen that much snow at an NFL game since 1948.

Comment

Waynesboro Record Herald - Waynesboro, PA

Writer

Posted Dec. 10, 2013 at 9:30 AM

Posted Dec. 10, 2013 at 9:30 AM

Unless you were born before 1940, you probably haven’t seen that much snow at an NFL game since 1948.

It was Dec. 19 and the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL Championship game. Not only was it the first NFL title game to be televised, but it was also played in a blinding snowstorm.

On a day when Eagles’ running back Steve Van Buren — who scored the game’s only touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 7-0 Philadelphia victory — was almost late showing up for the game due to transportation problems in the city, players from both teams helped remove the tarp that covered the field.

Commissioner Bert Bell considered postponing the game, but players from both teams wanted to play.

Fast forward to Dec. 8, 2013.

No one was making snow angels, but on one play, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson fell face first into the fluffy stuff and his face was completely covered in snow. He simply shook his head from side to side in a resigned attempt to defy the weather. But even Johnson, who defies gravity and leaves opposing defenders reaching beyond their grasp, couldn’t fool Mother Nature on Sunday.

What else could he do? What could anyone do, except just play. And LeSean McCoy did just that. McCoy proved to be the difference-maker in the game, which forced teams to play the way the game was originally intended — on the ground.

After falling behind 14-0 midway through the third quarter and appearing on the verge of having its four-game winning streak snapped, Philadelphia came to life in the second half and outscored Detroit 28-6 during a frenetic fourth quarter that saw McCoy, a product of Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, rush for 148 of his game-high 217 yards.

McCoy got better and better as the game progressed. The same was not true for the Lions on both sides of the ball. The only bright spot for the team whose uniforms matched the color of the field was two special teams touchdowns by Jeremy Ross.

The weather might very well have helped the Eagles win the game. Detroit’s vaunted passing attack featuring Johnson, nicknamed Megatron for his super human ability as a pass catcher, was neutralized by the snowy weather, and Lions running back Reggie Bush didn’t even play after slipping on the turf and re-injuring a calf muscle during warmups.

Johnson finished with just three catches for 49 yards and no touchdowns.

Poor visibility and the snow-covered field helped Philadelphia on a touchdown pass from Nick Foles to DeSean Jackson. On a clear day on a green field, replays might have shown Jackson’s feet out of the back of the end zone. But replays were instead inconclusive, and Jackson’s catch in the endzone — Philly’s first TD of the game occurring at 4:05 of the third quarter — stood. Just 26 seconds into the fourth quarter, McCoy galloped 40 yards through at least five inches of snow to score a touchdown. Bryce Brown converted the 2-point conversion to tie the game.

Page 2 of 2 - As a fan, it was a sight to see — a winter wonderland that transformed Lincoln Financial Field into a field of snow, lots of snow. Even the players seemed to enjoy the rare experience of playing in the elements, including the visiting Lions, which play their home games under the protective covering of Ford Field.

Detroit seized the momentum on Ross’s 98-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, but McCoy and the Eagles scored the final three TDs of the game, including a beautiful 57-yard run by McCoy that tied the game. Foles passed to Riley Cooper for the 2-point conversion to give the Eagles the lead for good.

Who knows? Maybe the ghosts of Van Buren and the old-guard Eagles were invoked. If anything, football was old school at the Linc, and, coupled with the Dallas Cowboys’ 45-28 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night, the Eagles are alone in first place in the NFC East.

The forecast for the Philadelphia area wasn’t for this much snow. Not even close. And, unlike a game against the Minnesota Vikings three years earlier that was postponed until the following Tuesday due to a foot of snow being dumped on Philadelphia, there was no such outcome on Sunday.

A good thing for the Eagles, maybe a bad thing for the Lions, who slipped to 7-6 and are now tied with Chicago for first place in the NFC North.

In an ironic twist, McCoy set a franchise record with his 217 yards — surpassing guess who? Van Buren. Van Buren ran for 205 yards against Pittsburgh on Nov. 27, 1949, the same year the Eagles won their second straight NFL championship.